LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas had dropped 76 points on Nebraska, and I had my column.
Nebraska fans probably would have loved it, especially those waving Kevin Cosgrove's noose in the air. I was going to declare that I literally could have stepped in at defensive coordinator and allowed 76 points or less, referencing my extensive background in EA Sports' "NCAA College Football."
Then Cosgrove, after a long, long delay after the game, stepped out from the visitor's locker room, misty-eyed and quiet. He held his lips as stiff as he could, but the corners of his mouth quivered and turned down. There wasn't much to say, and from the looks of the lump in his throat, he wasn't able to say much anyway.
"I'm sick about it," Cosgrove said. "Just sick about it."
I'm not going to offer excuses or explanations. There's nowhere to begin, and nothing you can say to spin 11 touchdowns. I could fill the front page with criticism, but there's enough of that out there.
So much, in fact, that I wonder if it's too much.
It's pretty clear Cosgrove has two games left as a Cornhusker - three if you're extremely optimistic. I'm not sure there's anyone like that left out there.
From the first loss against USC, Cosgrove has been lambasted, criticized, insulted and tossed to the side. Even before the sixth loss, when Nebraska's defense hit historic lows across the board, the surest thing about this football team was that Cosgrove was a goner.
What's the point in carrying it on? Negativity is addictive. And Nebraska fans, encouraged by the media, are bastardizing their defensive coordinator, it would appear, just for the fun of it.
Pretty sick. Especially from those who consider themselves the greatest fans in the nation.
Cosgrove has failed miserably this season. The defense has gone downhill. There's no way he could ever stay at Nebraska, not even with three straight shutouts.
But there are positives, too, as much as no one wants to admit it. Cosgrove has taken the situation in stride. He could have thrown people under the bus. He could have quit trying.
He could have resigned midseason, like so many people have been requesting. It's an easy out, albeit a cop-out.
Look at Texas Tech. Its defensive coordinator, Lyle Setencich, resigned one day after a 49-45 loss to Oklahoma State. Tech has struggled this year more than in most seasons, and the defense is pressing on after its coach walked away and left the players alone in a season of turmoil.
Why people would want Cosgrove to do the same is beyond me. The right thing to do is to finish the job, to stand by his players. Quitting when things get tough is a terrible life lesson to teach the young men in your care. And it isn't just about winning games.
Even if it were, what would Cosgrove's departure do for winning? There won't be any other reputable coordinator willing to come in and finish the job. To suggest that cutting a coach from a staff would improve its performance is the kind of thing that comes from the mouths of those who don't really know what they're talking about.
And maybe I could have stepped in on game day and held Kansas to 76 points or less. There's no way to ever know. But could I have led practices, or worked with individual players to improve their performance or recruited worth anything? Could I have devoted the time and effort in game preparation, or mentored young men, or kept my cool when everyone with a mouth tried to tear me down?
No. Neither could you. That's not a criticism, either. It's the truth.
So Cosgrove has one home game remaining next weekend, when the fans are sure to be hostile towards him. When he walks off the field, it would be nice to think the fans would at least show him appreciation for trying.
That's what the greatest fans in college football would do. We'll see if they live up to their billing.
JONATHAN CROWL IS A SENIOR ENGLISH MAJOR. REACH HIM AT JONATHANCROWL@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
